For International Women’s Day, ”my wish is for women to depend on themselves”

The long journey from Deraa to Southern Turkey was not easy at all. It took me 24 hours on a long and difficult road to get far away from the hell of war.

I entered Turkey on February 5th, 2015 and began working with IDA as a dermatologist.

Long ago, I had decided to become a doctor in order to be a dermatologist like my father. I had been interested in his work since I was young girl, and moved to Damascus in 2006 to study medicine. I graduated in 2012.

Before the war broke out, I had imagined that I would start working in my own clinic, and with my father in his private laser center.

Now, I wake up in the morning in the town of Kilis on the Syrian-Turkish border to head to work in Gaziantep. From IDA’s office there, I make sure our health projects for the IDPs in Northern Syria are running smoothly, such as the mobile and stationary primary health care clinics. I still go into Syria too on a weekly basis through the Bab al Salama gate to meet with the facility managers, to check the work’s progress, to conduct trainings and to work as a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) consultant in the camps. IDA has made safe spaces in the camps where we help the women and girls suffering from psychological distress mostly caused by displacement.

”My wish is for women to depend on themselves, to gain knowledge in order to be productive in their society, and to become decision-makers.”

I am so happy to do this work in spite of my exhaustion, which feels insignificant when I know that thousands of people will have better life conditions because of this hard work.

My wish is for women to depend on themselves, to gain knowledge in order to be productive in their society, and to become decision-makers. During the war, women have become the stakeholders in so many cases, even without having degrees. And they remained the pillar of their families despite all their losses. Can you imagine what they’d be like if they had the chance to be educated?

I do long for my home city, Deraa. I miss my family and my friends there. I hope deep inside that I go back no matter how long it will be.